Popcorn popping appliances and manual popcorn popping pans are well known. These corn popping appliances/manual devices are useful in that they provide a means for agitating and mixing popcorn kernels to allow even heat distribution and burn avoidance while allowing the operator to avoid holding one's hand above a burner. However, these existing appliances, and in particular manual popcorn popping pans, do not easily and quickly allow full removal of the crank mechanism, stable operation of the device, or easy viewing of, and contained cooking and heating of, the contained food. As a result, these appliances or devices are difficult to clean, and many are not suitable for cleaning in a dishwasher. Moreover, many kitchen owners suffer from a lack of storage space, such that a single-use appliance used only for a specific purpose takes up precious space. The ability to convert the device to allow many uses is appreciated, and needed, by many users.
In the field of popcorn popping, it is well known that the most desirable popcorn is popped at a high temperature with the addition of hot oil or other hot grease to obtain optimum results for popcorn. However, this presents a danger to the operator if the device is not stable. Instability increases as the device incorporates movement, but burning of food product contained therein is almost certain if there is no movement to agitate and move the food product inside. This presents a need to stabilize any mechanism used to agitate the food to prevent the device from tipping or spilling and to contain the hot contents. Existing devices have an agitation mechanism connected to the lid. However, this increases the probability of the lid being moved or separated from the bottom portion of the device during the agitation process, increasing the chances of spilling and splattering the hot contents, injuring the operator and anyone else nearby.
It is also important to be able to contain the oil and grease along with its associated splatter, while being able to observe the food cooked therein. Screens do not prevent splatter, but only lessen spatter while obscuring the view, and solid lids prohibit the view altogether. While clear lids have been used in some devices, an agitation mechanism is incorporated in the lid which has multiple disadvantages, namely, it obscures the view, requires the operator's hands to be over the hot device, and is easily knocked off or moved while moving the disclosed crank adding to the risk of spills.